UK rapper slowthai was charged with two counts of rape on Tuesday, May 16th for an alleged September 2021 incident that took place in Oxford, reports The Guardian.
According to the British newspaper, the artist born Tyron Frampton was charged with oral and vaginal penetration of a woman without her consent while appearing remotely before Oxfordshire magistrates court via video. Frampton only spoke to confirm his real name, date of birth, and Northampton address.
Prosecutor Adam Yar Khan told magistrates that the rape charge was an indictable-only offense and must be heard in court. slowthai was granted bail and will appear before Oxford crown court next month.
Shortly after the charges were made public, slowthai shared a statement on social media. “regarding the allegations being reported about me,” he wrote. “i categorically deny the charges. i am innocent and i am confident my name will be cleared.”
He continued, “until then i will apply my energy to ensure this is concluded swiftly and justly. i ask that my supporters don’t comment about this situation and respect the process and privacy of my family during this time.”
Update — May 17th: slowthai has been removed from the lineups for several UK festivals, including Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, and Parklife.
Back in 2020, slowthai made sexual comments on stage toward NME Awards host Katherine Ryan. slowthai later got involved in an altercation with an audience member who had reportedly called him a “misogynist.”
slowthai’s latest album, UGLY, was released in March. He recently joined Gorillaz on stage during the first weekend of Coachella to perform their 2020 collaboration, “Momentary Bliss.” For now, he’s currently slated to open for Blur during the band’s first headlining shows in eight years at London’s Wembley Stadium.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual misconduct, you can reach out for support:
RAINN Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
http://www.rainn.org
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HERE” to 741-741
http://www.facebook.com/crisistextline (chat support)
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